{"id":1931,"date":"2012-08-31T08:15:17","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T13:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parentingzoo.com\/members\/?p=1931"},"modified":"2012-08-31T09:00:22","modified_gmt":"2012-08-31T14:00:22","slug":"shes-a-dancing-machine-5-stretches-your-little-one-should-do-if-shes-in-a-dance-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parentingzoo.com\/members\/?p=1931","title":{"rendered":"She’s a Dancing Machine – 5 stretches your little one should do if she’s in a dance class"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Irish Dance Jig Shoes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you have a toddler or preschooler at home chances are pretty good you already have her\/him signed up for some type of dance class – ballet, tap, jazz or Irish dance.\u00a0 These activities are fun (usually) and a great way for little ones to interact with others as well as learn new skills.<\/p>\n

The actual dancing, however, can be pretty harmful to your child’s feet and while I’m not suggesting in this article that you pull your daughter or son out of the class, I want to suggest some stretching exercises that you can do with your youngster before and after class which can help minimize future pain\/damage as well as improve the overall health of her feet – and yours if you do the stretches too!<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Toe Stretches:\u00a0 Have your toddler stand or sit barefooted and try to spread her toes as far apart as possible while keeping all the toes on the floor.\u00a0 Hold for a few seconds and then relax.\u00a0\u00a0 Do it again for a total of 3 times.<\/p>\n

2. Calf stretches:\u00a0 Sit with your feet flat against a wall with knees straight.\u00a0 Try to keep the back straight and pull down to try and touch your toes with your hands.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Hold hands with your feet<\/a>.\u00a0 Sit cross legged and lace your fingers with your opposite foot toes like you’re holding “hands” with your foot.\u00a0 Most kidscan do both feet at once but it’s ok to do one at a time.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Roll on the ball.\u00a0 Have your child roll the bottom of her foot over a tennis ball – back and forth, up and down for a minute or so.\u00a0 You can do this with a golf ball too.\u00a0 Try it standing for a bit more pressure on the foot but make sure she’s standing close to a wall or a chair so she can hold on if she loses balance.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Draw with your feet.\u00a0 No doubt your little one with this this exercise is the most fun.\u00a0 Just sit on the ground with a piece of paper and use your toes as finger to draw with crayons or markers.\u00a0 Try to write your name, draw a face or do something specific.\u00a0 Then do it with the other foot.\u00a0 Such fun!<\/p>\n

Try some or all of these exercises before and after dance class for the most benefit or add it to your before bed routine. Your feet and hers will love it and it’ll help keep her feet happier as she progresses through her dance career.\u00a0 Find out more on how to keep your own feet happy and healthy by visiting HealthyFootCoach.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Annette Yen is a Healthy Foot Practitioner\u2122, foot coach and blogger.\u00a0 She received her training and certification through the Restorative Exercise Institute<\/a>. The training involves a thorough education of footmechanics, how foot function affects whole-body health, and the role of footwear on foot health and foot pain. Find out more about your feet, sign up for her newsletter and register for healthy foot classes when you visit her website at HealthyFootCoach.com<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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